Written by Michelle Calderon. Published: December 26 2025
(Photo: 20th Century
Films)
The holiday
season is a special time for many. However, it’s even more
memorable and special for these 5 celebrities, whose careers
skyrocketed after starting in a Christmas movie! From comedians to
rock singers, these stars owe most of their clout and success to a
Christmas film!
1.
Tim Allen
While Tim
Allen had already made a name for himself thanks to his “Home
Improvement” sitcom, it was through The Santa Clause movie
franchise where he won the hearts of Millennials and elder Zoomers
and became a Christmas symbol for those who grew up in the
early-2000s.
Allen starred
in the first Santa Clause film in 1994, and it was a box
office success. Allen played Scott Calvin, a marketing director for
a toy company and divorced father to an 8-year-old boy who becomes
Santa Claus after trying on the original Santa’s suit. The film
focused on his adjustment to life as Santa Claus. Its sequel, The Santa Clause 2, was released on November 2002 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause was released 3
years later on November 2006. Allen was incredibly loved as Santa,
causing the franchise to continue with a television series, “The
Santa Clauses”, which premiered on November 16, 2022, on Disney
Plus, and aired for 2 seasons.
Thanks to
this franchise, Allen showed that he was a serious and charming
actor, capable of leaving a sentimental impact on his projects. He
proved he could do more than just stand-up comedy and went on to
star in more iconic movie roles, such as Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise.
2.
Macaulay Culkin
It’s not
Christmas without a Home Alone movie watch. While Macaulay
Culkin starred in other projects before the Home Alone movie franchise, it was through his role as the adorable and
mischievous Kevin McCallister that his fame would skyrocket. The
first film in the Home Alone franchise premiered in
American movie theaters in November 1990 and became a massive
success. Home Alone was the number one film at the box
office for 12 consecutive weeks. The film was also in the Guinness
World Records as the highest-grossing live-action comedy and it
held that record for two decades until The Hangover Part
II ultimately broke it in 2011.
Culkin was
praised for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in both Home
Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. For Home Alone, he would go on to win an American Comedy Award
and a Young Artist Award. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe.
Thanks to his work on both of these films, Culkin became an
internationally known actor and one of the most recognized child
actors of the 1990s. While he would go on to star on many more
projects, his portrayal of Kevin McCallister remains iconic and is
celebrated and remembered every holiday season!
3.
Natalie Wood
While most
remember the late Natalie Wood for her portrayal of Maria in the
1961 American musical romantic drama West Side Story,
her claim to fame came in 1947, when, at just 8 years old, she
co-starred in the film Miracle on 34th Street. She played
the adorable Susan Walker, whose stern mother prohibits her from
believing in fairytales, including Santa Claus. However, after a
man named Kris is hired to act as a store Santa, her skepticism is
challenged.
This film
focuses on keeping the Christmas spirit alive by celebrating the
power of belief, hope, and joy. After the release of this film,
Wood became a household name. She would go on to work on multiple
projects before reaching adulthood. Through this heartwarming
Christmas film, the world got to know Wood and experience her
talents.
4.
Zack Ward
The Canadian
actor Zach Ward received the Christmas gift of a lifetime in 1983
by being given the role of Scut Farkus in A Christmas
Story. The film was based on the 1966 book In God We
Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd and follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker, played by Peter
Billingsley, in 1940s Indiana, who yearns for a certain,
classic caliber BB gun for Christmas and faces numerous obstacles
getting it. Ward’s character, Farkus, bullies and torments
Billingsley, adding extra conflict to the plot.
After this
film, Ward would go on to appear in multiple television films, and
had a main role as Dave Scoville in the Fox sitcom “Titus”. Thanks
to this classic Christmas film, Ward continues to act to this
day!
5.
Taylor Momsen
Long before
her “Gossip Girl” days, and before becoming the frontwoman of her
band The Pretty Reckless, Taylor Momsen charmed
viewers worldwide when she started as the adorable Cindy Lou Who in
the 2000 film How The Grinch Stole Christmas. This film
was based on the 1957 children’s book by Dr.
Seuss and follows a grumpy, green creature known as
the Grinch (played by Jim Carrey) who hates
Christmas and the joyful residents of Whoville, and makes it his
mission to sabotage their Christmas celebration.
Momsen’s
character, Cindy, befriends the Grinch and ultimately gets him to
appreciate and understand Christmas joy. While Momsen has expressed
that she prefers singing to acting, given how much this film helped
launch her to stardom, it’s safe to say she couldn’t have entirely
loathed working on it!
